DisTribute

Tribute Customer Spotlight: Pearse-Bertram LLC

Pearse-Bertram LLC was formed in 2006 as a joint venture between two well known and successful distributors: Pearse-Pearson and Bertram Controls. Each had been long recognized as independent distributors that provided exceptional products and services to their respective markets of Industrial Automation/Motion Control and Instrumentation/Process Control.

This joint venture created one of the largest and most experienced industrial distributors in New England. The combined resources allow Pearse-Bertram to provide their customers with a much more comprehensive selection of products and even better service.

Pearse-Bertram carries a wide selection of products for the hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical, motion control, safety, instrumentation and process control marketplace. Everything from actuators and cylinders, hose and tubing, PLC’s and power transmission equipment, valves to vacuum pumps and blowers, to light towers and machine guarding products can be found on their line card.

While anyone can sell you products, they also integrate all of the various products to provide cross-technology, fully integrated system solutions. Their Engineered Products Group can assist you with the design, build, test, install, and start-up of any sub-system or sub-assembly of your OEM piece of equipment. Or you can utilize their new feature, the “do-it-yourself” online hydraulic power unit configurator. With the ease of drop down menus users can go from concept, to quote, to order in minutes!

Offering a variety of contract assembly and value-added services including sub-assembly, product customization, wire termination, and small machine assembly, they also offer programming services for the various machine controls they sell as well as for suppliers they do not represent.

Pearse-Bertram can also help you stay on top of the newest and best technology in the automation industry. To earn your trust and win your business, they will present you with ways to make you more competitive in your markets by offering "Machine Audit" services.

Experienced Sales Engineers will come to your facility, free of charge, to identify areas of your machine where they can help you improve your process, increase throughput, improve your quality, or reduce costs, and ultimately make you more competitive in your marketplace.

Pearse-Bertram carries over 60 product lines, including Ace Controls, Destaco, Eaton Weatherhead, Omron, Parker Hannifin, SMC, Hoke, Malema, Firestone, Ashcroft, Versa and many more. Pearse-Bertram LLC was recently appointed as the D1 Master Distributor for Elmo-Rietschle Vacuum Pumps and Systems in New England.

Pearse-Bertram’s emphasis on quality and service has earned them ISO 9001-2008 Certification by TÜV Rheinland and Dock-to-Stock certifications with some of their key customers. Utilizing TrulinX software by Tribute, Inc. since 2008 to run their business efficiently, Pearse-Bertram delineates the advantages over their previous software in this testimonial.

Pearse-Bertram LLC
22 Tobey Road
Bloomfield, CT 06002
Voice: (860)242-7777
Fax: (860) 242-2673
www.pearse-bertram.com

How to Fire a Bad Customer

Firing a customer may seem like a daunting proposition in this economy. But, sometimes, it has to be done, according to this article by Anne Field from the OPEN Forum. The wrong customer can lead to everything from employee resignations to declining profits.

What exactly constitutes a bad customer? That depends on your business. It can mean someone who simply isn’t profitable, demanding more time than is cost-effective. But it also might include a customer who consistently pays late, is never satisfied, requires too much hand-holding, or is downright verbally abusive.

Be sure to consider the following:

• Figure out if there’s another option. Assess the root cause of the problem to see whether there’s a way to fix it.
• Watch your timing. Make the change when it will have minimum negative impact on your company.
• Dial down on the antagonism. It's best to wait until a natural pause in the relationship (for example, when a contract expires). Then, be as diplomatic as possible.
• Take it slow. Unless the situation is urgent, phase out clients slowly.
• Decide whether it means something bigger. If you continue to attract bad customers, there could be an underlying problem with the business.
• Learn the red flags beforehand. Then you may avoid dealing with bad customers by not doing business with any to begin with.

Read the full article here.

The New Rules of Hiring

If you're adding staff for the first time in years, there are a few hiring practices you should get hip to – and it's not just behavioral interviewing anymore.

Think you know what works when hiring a new employee? Experts say: think again. Most managers skimp on time and energy needed to find the best candidates for a job.

Inc.com has a series of great articles on the new playing field when it comes to hiring and using social media as a recruiting tool.

The New Rules of Hiring

How to Improve Your Hiring Practices

How to Use Social Media as a Recruiting Tool

Inc.com Hiring Guide

Don’t forget that many professional organizations and trade publications have resources for listing positions, e.g. Automation.com, MDM, etc. LinkedIn is a great resource with many Job Boards available e.g. NAHAD, NIBA, The Distribution Forum, etc.

Make Plans to go to NIBA's 2010 Convention

NIBA will host the 2010 Annual Convention at the luxurious J.W. Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix next month, September 18 – 21.

This desert mountain venue provides unparalleled service, endless recreation, exquisite dining, a pampering spa, and championship golf on-site at the Wildfire golf club. The airy and spacious atmosphere, warming fire pits, sparkling waterways and majestic palm-lined pathways incorporate a serene mix of all four elements. That will be even further emphasized during the “Elemental Welcoming Reception” on Saturday night.

This year’s theme, Winning with Strategic Vision, came about late last year when I heard a quote that moved me: vision is a mental picture of what could be … fueled by a passion that it should be. I’m not implying that life is meant to be a competitive game, but rather that strategic vision is vital to us all, and with it, we’re all winners.

NIBA’s Program Committee, chaired by Chris McCarty, has put together another great program complete with three nationally known speakers, the valuable booth program, and more networking opportunities than ever before. Along with the valuable information and networking, will be plenty of activities for all.

Make plans now to attend and participate in the NIBA Annual Meeting in Phoenix and take advantage of all the convention has to offer. I hope to see you there … winning with strategic vision.

Don Garner
2010 NIBA President
Nashville Rubber & Gasket

Do Your Customers Value Your Services?

In an era where purchasing departments often place lowest cost among their primary buying criteria, it’s up to specialist distributors to prove their worth. Job #1 is to sharply define your specialty and then convey it to customers in ways that clearly demonstrate a competitive advantage.

Specialist distributors can fall into one of several categories. One thing they all have in common is an overall offering that far exceeds the mere supply of products. Specialists typically invest in technical training for their personnel, offer expert advice regarding their customers’ equipment and the components that keep it running.

If your business model is indeed that of a “specialist” distributor, one that delivers technical services, whose reps have developed productive relationships with plant personnel and are familiar with your customer’s particular needs, you will almost certainly have a history of providing services unachievable by competitors who rely primarily on low pricing. But do your customers know and value the additional and technical services you provide?

In his article for Industrial Distribution, Do Your Customers Value Your Services?, Bill Moore, Senior VP, Channel Management for SKF, talks about how important it is to educate your customers on what your company brings to the table and outlines the steps to accomplish this.

Click for the full article

Your Biggest Customer Just Went Bankrupt - Now What?

According to the American Bankruptcy Institute, 69 percent of the 61,148 business bankruptcies declared during the 12-month period ending in March 2010 were Chapter 7 liquidations. If one of your customers enters Chapter 7 bankruptcy, there is a good chance your company won’t recover any part of what it is owed.

So what should you do if one of your major customers declares bankruptcy? Mike Periu suggests these five steps in this article, courtesy of the OPEN Forum:

• Step 1: Freeze and evaluate current projects and orders
• Step 2: File a proof of claim
• Step 3: Estimate your actual and future losses and adapt
• Step 4: Analyze your customer concentration and make plans to adjust
• Step 5: Reassure everyone that this won’t put you out of business

If goods have been shipped to the company after they have declared bankruptcy, your company may be able to reclaim them. You can find more information in this article, also by Mike Periu from the OPEN Forum.

DIY Vehicle Diagnostics

Spend a fortune taking your company vehicles to a mechanic every time the check engine light comes on? New electronic tools give you a quick diagnostic and estimated repair cost right on the spot! Ranging in price from $99 to $450, they fit in the palm of your hand, plug in under the dash, then into your computer, to tell you exactly what's happening with your ride.

CarMD (~$99) is designed to work on all 1996 and newer vehicles driven in the U.S., with on-board diagnostic second generation (OBD2) technology. This includes cars, trucks, minivans and SUVs – foreign and domestic, the newer hybrid vehicles, and in 2010 will include heavy-duty trucks and vehicles. CarMD’s online database gives drivers an easy-to-understand overview of the most likely problem and estimated repair costs.

Insight CS/CTS (~$430-$450) comprehensive gauge displays by Edge Products plug into your truck and provide continuous engine monitoring. The CTS features a built-in video port that allows users to connect the Edge back-up camera, enhancing safety.

Check out what Leon “The Motorman” Kaplan has to say about these time and money saving devices on his appearance on Jay Leno’s Garage.

 

 

Tribute Customer Spotlight: Jerry Brothers Industries

Jerry Brothers Industries (JBI) was founded by the Jerry family in the early 1900s in Richmond, VA. Originally JBI sold leather drive belting to a wide variety of manufacturing plants. The Jerry family maintained ownership of the company until the late 1970s. By that time JBI had started to diversify into the tobacco industry.

Ted Lushch purchased the small tobacco-oriented company in the 1980s and started to transform it into a full-service conveyor belting company. As the company grew into the 1990s, he formed a partnership with Mike Barker and opened a second manufacturing facility in Charlotte, NC.

JBI now distributes conveyor and power transmission belting for all of the top belting manufacturers, including Habasit and Ameraal, representing them in many different industries. They have a large presence in the following industries: bakeries, cookie and cracker, meat and poultry, printing, paper and box manufacturing. If a belt is moving a product, forming a product, or driving a machine, then JBI sells it.

Their belting products range from thermoplastic and nylon core products, to metal and plastic modular belting, all to meet the ever-changing environment. It is their ability to sell solutions and to service those solutions that sets them apart from their competition. JBI is a member of NIBA (The Belting Association) and Ted Lushch served as president of the organization in 2005.

Over the years the lightweight conveyor belting industry has become highly competitive. In order to meet the challenges of this competitive market, JBI continues to invest in new equipment which allows them to respond quickly to their customer’s needs. This investment is not only in belt manufacturing equipment, but includes the Tribute Software System which they installed in 2009.

Mike Barker, VP, states that Tribute has been a huge upgrade over their last system. “The flexibility of Tribute has made the jobs of our CSR’s (customer service reps) easier by having information at their fingertips. This allows us to respond to our customer’s needs quickly. The ability to drill down in several different areas makes finding information easy, thus the accounting types are happy. I have found Tribute’s customer service to be excellent and they have been very easy to work with. With their help we are finding new applications and reports that help us manage our business better than ever.”

With locations in Richmond, VA and Charlotte, NC, Jerry Brothers Industries provides expert problem solving, custom products, specialty belting and hose, 24 hour emergency service, and onsite training and installation.

Jerry Brothers Industries
www.jerrybrothers.com

Do You Need an iPad for Your Business?

When the iPad was unveiled in January, it was originally marketed as a consumer device. However, many small businesses and entrepreneurs are finding innovative ways of using the iPad to help their businesses and professional lives run more smoothly and profitably.

Are you tempted by this sleek new device, but need justification on whether to spend the money to get one? This article (courtesy of Mashable) lists some reasons why you should and shouldn't rush out and buy one.

Want to read some real-world examples of ways that businesses are using the iPad? This article from Macworld cites seven businesses, including Mercedes-Benz dealerships, using the iPad effectively at work.

Will the iPad withstand daily use on your shop floor or your salespeople's routes? This article from CIO.com details the experience of a company who won 20 iPads and recently deployed them in the construction business.

Owning the iPad itself is not enough, though; you need apps to go with it. This article from PCWorld lists some must-have apps for business professionals.

TrulinX Powers Eaton's Van Wert Aeroquip Express Store

Tribute, Inc.’s partnership with Eaton Corporation has been strengthened by the implementation of Tribute's Windows-based distribution management product, TrulinX, in Eaton's facility in Van Wert, Ohio. The Van Wert facility, part of Eaton’s Hydraulics business, is a large manufacturer of hoses and fittings used primarily in the agricultural and automotive industries.

Eaton Corporation chose TrulinX’s Counter Store application for their pilot project, the new Van Wert Aeroquip Express Store. This new store will serve three purposes: 1) test market new products 2) serve the local market with high quality products and services, and 3) illustrate to Eaton Distributors a “Best Practice” counter sale operation.

“The Van Wert Aeroquip Express will serve as a real-world training ground and laboratory for Eaton distributors, as well as for Eaton itself,” said Jeff O’Hearn, Eaton product manager. “It will enable us to learn market needs, market dynamics, and merchandising techniques firsthand and to pass this knowledge onto our distributor partners.”

Potential Aeroquip Express store owners, as well as current owners, are encouraged to visit the store that will be a test site for new merchandising programs and to share ideas on how to sell fluid-conveyance products in agriculture, construction, and truck and bus markets,which are all prevalent in the Van Wert area and commonly served by Eaton distributors.

“Overall, the store will be a working environment for both Eaton and our distributors to share industry knowledge, which will ultimately lead to more successful sales strategies for ourdistributor-owned retail stores,” O’Hearn said. Tribute’s distribution management software enables Eaton distributors to reduce purchasing expenses and remove costs and errors from the supply chain.

Tribute will be at the upcoming Eaton Distributor’s Meeting August 15-18 in Dallas - check us out at Booth #101 and see our presentation, Streamlining Your Internal Operations Using TrulinX from Tribute, on Wednesday, August 18th at 11 am.

How To Handle That Letter from the IRS

 
Receiving a letter from the Internal Revenue Service is something most individuals and business owners dread. What should you do when you get that unexpected correspondence from the IRS? First, follow these three tips from BizBox by Slate:

• Open the Envelope and Read The Contents. Believe it or not, it is not uncommon for people to toss the unopened envelope aside. The envelope probably contains correspondence that requires a response before a certain deadline. 
• Compare the IRS Correspondence to the Tax Return. Find the applicable return, and compare it to the information from the IRS letter. If you have unintentionally omitted information, or made a mathematical error, responding to the letter on your own is probably all you’ll need to do.
• Keep Copies. Retain copies of everything that you send to the IRS, and everything that you receive from the IRS.

And what happens if that letter from the IRS turns into an audit? Prepare your records, educate yourself, and know your rights. Click here for more tips for surviving an audit, from Nolo.com.

Three Heads Are Better Than One

As fall draws nearer, manufacturers are busy creating programs and promotional literature to launch a full scale assault on your purchasing folks. Because manufacturer’s reps will be touting the latest in shiny new items, Jason Bader of The Distribution Team says that you should have a plan in place to eliminate hasty decisions, resulting in additional dead inventory.

Don’t forget that only a few short months ago, during the annual physical inventory, your warehouse was filled with the unsold carcasses of last season’s sales darlings. Dead inventory kills your profitability in two ways. Not only does it tie up capital; but it actually costs you money in handling. Since we know that new items can cause dead stock, you should use caution and scrutiny when adding new items to your inventory.

In his timely article, Three Heads Are Better Than One, Bader explains how you must make it difficult to bring new items into the company. Instead of letting just one person make the buying decision, consider forming a committee of three - the Sales Manager, the Purchasing Manager and the Controller.

Click here for the full article

The Distribution Team was founded by retired industry consultants Gordon Graham and Scott Stratman, and is the the only Gordon Graham™ approved consulting firm. Their mission is to continue to present and enhance the inventory management strategies and philosophies of Gordon Graham upon his retirement at the end of 1996.

Detecting Employee Theft and Occupational Fraud at Your Company

 
The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), the largest anti-fraud organization in the world, estimates that companies lose 5% of revenues to employee theft. With the number of people facing financial hardship in today's economy, the odds that someone at your company may steal increases. Even a modest reduction in fraud would significantly improve your bottom line.

This article by Mike Periu, courtesy of the OPEN Forum, makes the following suggestions for minimizing employee fraud at your company:

• Foster an ethical organizational culture. If the owners and top managers act ethically and reward ethical behavior, it sets the tone for everyone else.
• Train everyone on detecting fraud. By doing so, everyone becomes a second set of eyes and ears for the company, making it more difficult for fraud to take place undetected.  It also sends a message to those considering fraudulent activity that they should think twice.
• Launch a whistleblower hotline. A hotline is one of the most effective and least expensive ways to detect employee fraud.
• Implement effective monitoring systems. An important component of effective monitoring systems is the perception by staff that monitoring is taking place.  This helps deter fraudulent behavior.
• Hire a fraud examiner. If you believe your company has been the victim of occupational or employee fraud, then you should consider hiring a professional for assistance.

To read the complete report from the ACFE in PDF format, click here.

Where Sales Reps Go Wrong

B2B customers say they care most about product and price, but what they really want is a great sales experience. For sales reps, that means getting the basics right.

A recent McKinsey survey of sales targets found a big difference between what customers said was important and what actually drove their behavior. Customers insisted price and product aspects were the dominant factors that influenced their opinion of a supplier’s performance and, as a result, their purchasing decisions.

Yet when they examined what actually determined how customers rated a vendor’s overall performance, the most important factors were product or service features and the overall sales experience.

And they found that the two behaviors that most undermined the sales experience (55% of the "most destructive" failures of B2B sales reps) are too much contact with customers and inadequate product knowledge. The upside of getting these two elements right is significant: a primary supplier seen as having a high-performing sales force can boost its share of a customer’s business by an average of 8 -15 percentage points.

Source: McKinsey Quarterly

Parker Releases HoseFinder Mobile App

HoseFinder, the new mobile app from Parker Hannifin Corporation, the global leader in motion and control technologies, now makes it fast and convenient to search for hydraulic hose products and information on the go. The application features an abbreviated S.T.A.M.P.* selection process, enabling the user to specify their preferred Size, Temperature and Pressure criteria.

Using the HoseFinder app helps customers quickly narrow down suitable hoses by choosing the criteria that meets their needs. Once they identify a product of interest, the Find It option allows customers to enter their ZIP code into the app to locate the nearest Parker distributor. They can also use the Send It feature to forward the product details along with a message to a friend or colleague.

Parker’s new HoseFinder app is available at no charge by visiting www.hosefinder.com and is compatible with Apple’s iPhone® and RIM’s BlackBerry® handsets. Versions for Android® and Windows Mobile will be announced soon.

The HoseFinder app further provides real-time access to the Hose Products Division catalog (Catalog 4400). This allows users to search Parker’s hose, fitting, crimper and accessory offerings from anywhere at anytime as well as reference training videos and tutorials by selecting the “Technical” prompt in the browser menu.

A complete guide to S.T.A.M.P. is also available in Catalog 4400. Call 800.C.Parker or visit www.parkerhose.com to obtain a printed copy.  S.T.A.M.P. is an industry acronym for Size, Temperature, Application, Media and Pressure.

Tribute Customer Spotlight: Kraft Fluid Systems

Kraft Fluid Systems is a distributor and component packager of hydraulic, power transmission, and electronic control technologies for mobile and industrial equipment manufacturers. Their solutions involve standard and custom designed components, packaged assemblies or the development of a complete engineered system.

Bob and Marie Kraft founded Kraft Fluid Systems in 1972 and, since its inception, the company’s mission has been to provide customers with increased value through superior application and technical assistance, quality products, and responsive service.

Kraft continues to prosper using the values on which Bob built the company; “Customers are the focus of everything we do, and we value long-term customers as our greatest asset. Our goal is to learn and satisfy customer needs by helping them utilize the latest technology.”

The foundation of their continued growth and success is their focus in the mobile equipment market. Their highly diverse customer base includes manufacturers of all types of off-road vehicles and equipment serving the construction, road building, material handling, agriculture, wood processing, mining, defense, and oil and gas industries. Their Field Sales, Engineering and Technical Service teams are all Certified Fluid Power Specialists through the International Fluid Power Society. Combined, they have over 200 years of mobile application expertise.

Today, Kraft is excited by the opportunities for improved machine control using new electronic technologies with their hydraulic experience. This provides their customers with complete systems integration. They currently have more than 100 successful electronic control applications in operation.

Kraft has been a Tribute user since 1984, and for the past eleven years they have served as an Alpha test site for new software releases. Sue Johnson, IT Manager, says “I enjoy being a test site for Tribute because I get the new features early. It’s been great watching the Tribute software evolve over the years. They continually improve and enhance their product which keeps us working with greater efficiency. That’s especially important now when we have to do more with less. Our employees can get the information they need, on their own, when they need it.”

Kraft represents and services about 20 major suppliers including Sauer-Danfoss, Fairfield Manufacturing, HydraForce, Schabmuller, Hetronic, MP Filtri, Mico, and Haldex, to name a few.

Located in Strongsville, Ohio, their territory includes Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, and parts of Delaware, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Connecticut. All warehousing and operations are conducted out of their 30,000 square foot facility.

They are an authorized build and repair center for many of their products and have a 24/7 online system for customers to view inventory, place orders, check order status, track shipments, and view invoicing history.

In 1998 Bob Kraft began an Employee Stock Ownership Plan, or ESOP, as part of his succession plan. In 2000, the company became 100% employee owned. Diane Baker, President and CEO, says, “Our employee owners are our greatest resource. We believe that respected and rewarded employees lead to satisfied long-term customers. At Kraft Fluid Systems we recognize what is most important to the customer and our focus every day is to help them sell more machines.”

Kraft Fluid Systems
Cleveland, Ohio
www.kraftfluid.com

Five Ways to Outshine the Competition

Your business is constantly being challenged by its competition. In today's economy, winning new customers and keeping old ones is more important than ever.

Marketing expert Kim T. Gordon claims that you must meet customer needs in these five areas to outshine your competition:

• Price: It's essential to meet or beat the competition's pricing on selected front-line products and services. Then you can provide bundled services or additional products at more profitable price points.
• Added value: Evaluate what your unique customers need in this recession-era economy and create a special incentive that will motivate them to take action.
• Convenience: Re-evaluate hours of operation, streamline the checkout process, and offer customer service via e-mail and by phone for shoppers who want immediate answers.
• Trust: Customers are careful to spend their limited dollars wisely and are scrutinizing each purchase to make sure they're making a "safe" decision. They want to buy from companies they trust and believe in.
• Conscience: Increasingly, consumers want to know you're a good corporate citizen. Businesses with a conscience care for their communities, others who are less fortunate and the world around them.

Click here to read the full article at Entrepreneur.com.

Questions to Answer Before You Get a New Vehicle for Your Business

If you're in the market for a new car, truck, or van that you plan to use at least in part for business, you'll want to make certain decisions before you shop to help you make an informed purchase. The decisions that you make can affect the type of vehicle you select, your cost, and your tax write-offs.

Attorney and author Barbara Weltman suggests that you consider these questions: 

• Should you get a new or pre-owned vehicle?
• Should you buy or lease the vehicle?
• Should you or the business own the vehicle?
• Should you buy an alternative energy vehicle?

You can read more about each question in this article, courtesy of the OPEN Small Business Forum.

The Top Eight Trends in Industrial Marketing

Industrial companies continue to shift resources away from traditional marketing and into online channels. The reasons are simple: potential customers go online to search for products, services, and suppliers; the results are measurable; and manufacturers can implement a robust portfolio of online marketing options to meet their needs and connect with their target audience.

GlobalSpec’s recent white paper, Trends in Industrial Marketing 2010, shows that a number of trends are emerging in industrial marketing, including the emergence of online marketing. Global Spec’s Marketing Maven has listed the top eight trends in industrial marketing on her blog. Click for the complete article.

Tips to Speed Up Your PC

 
The longer you use your computer, the more likely it is to become slower over time. By following a few simple guidelines, you can maintain your computer and keep it running smoothly.

Windows XP and Vista users can consult this straightforward article from Microsoft, which describes how to clean up and defragment your hard disk, among other tips: 5 Ways to Speed Up Your PC

Although Windows 7 was designed for faster processing, it is not immune to slowdowns. Features like special visual effects and sound effects can be disabled for faster performance. For details, check out this article: 9 Essential tips to Speed Up Windows 7